Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many farmers have received an estimated total subsidy payment for food produce in excess of €300,000 at current exchange rates in each of the last 10 years.

Ross Finnie: Available and comparable data indicate that the total number of farm businesses receiving over €300,000 in direct CAP subsidies for commodity food production in each year was as follows:

  


Year 
  

Number of Farms 
  



1995 
  

32 
  



1996 
  

32 
  



1997 
  

42 
  



1998 
  

59 
  



1999 
  

33 
  



2000 
  

34 
  



2001 
  

49

Asbestos

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to tackle the backlog of outstanding asbestos compensation claims and to reduce any further delays for victims and their families.

Mr Jim Wallace: There are currently 592 asbestos related claims before the Court of Session. The cases are procedurally at different stages. In December 2001, Lord Mackay of Drumadoon was appointed by the Lord President of the Court of Session to oversee cases where it appeared their progress had been affected by external factors. Since that date 254 cases have called by order of the court to ensure compliance with the Rules of the Court of Session and to facilitate settlement where this is possible. The court has been advised that 60 of these cases have now settled. Further hearings continue to be scheduled. Procedural reforms for personal injury actions generally have been recommended by a working group chaired by Lord Coulsfield. These reforms have the support of the Executive. On 11 June 2002, the Lord President wrote to Justice 2 Committee outlining progress with the work preparatory to the introduction of a revised procedure early in 2003. The Lord President’s letter is one of the papers for the committee’s 24th meeting on 18 June 2002, and is available through the Parliament’s website.

Civil Servants

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it interprets and applies the statements made in The Civil Service Code that "civil servants owe their loyalty to the administrations in which they serve" and "the term administration to mean…. The Scottish Executive".

Mr Andy Kerr: Scottish Executive civil servants work for and are accountable to the Scottish ministers.

Civil Servants

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what duty civil servants have to the Scottish Parliament other than "They should not deceive or knowingly mislead…. Parliament" as stated in The Civil Service Code .

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what duties of disclosure of information civil servants have to the Parliament or to individual MSPs.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Civil Service Code makes it clear that civil servants owe their loyalty to the administrations in which they serve and are accountable to ministers, who are in turn accountable to the Parliament. Guidance has been issued to Scottish Executive staff on information and accountability, including Evidence and Responses to Committees of the Scottish Parliament, Guidance on Contacts with MSPs/SPICe and the Protocol between Committee Clerks and the Scottish Executive, all of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Courts

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual running costs have been, excluding capital costs, for (a) Lochmaddy, (b) Tain, (c) Dingwall, (d) Portree and (e) Peebles sheriff courts in (i) 1999-2000, (ii) 2000-01, (iii) 2001-02 and (iv) 2002-03.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) has provided information on the running and general maintenance costs for each court. This information is set out in the following table. It excludes capital expenditure and staff-related costs. Information on 2002-03 is not yet available.

  


Court 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  


 

Running Costs 
  

Maint-enance 
  

Total 
  

Running Costs 
  

Maint-enance 
  

Total 
  

Running Costs 
  

Maint-enance 
  

Total 
  



Lochmaddy 
  

£50,100 
  

£4,800 
  

£54,900 
  

£53,500 
  

£6,300 
  

£59,800 
  

£48,300 
  

£1,300 
  

£49,600 
  



Tain 
  

£60,000 
  

£36,800 
  

£96,800 
  

£59,300 
  

£54,300 
  

£113,600 
  

£61,000 
  

£8,700 
  

£69,700 
  



Dingwall 
  

£66,900 
  

£3,600 
  

£70,500 
  

£72,800 
  

£2,500 
  

£75,300 
  

£63,400 
  

£35,100 
  

£98,500 
  



Portree 
  

£45,500 
  

£16,000 
  

£61,500 
  

£44,800 
  

£6,200 
  

£51,000 
  

£46,100 
  

£1,000 
  

£47,100 
  



Peebles 
  

£50,700 
  

£1,500 
  

£52,200 
  

£53,100 
  

£3,400 
  

£56,500 
  

£53,100 
  

£1,800* 
  

£54,900 
  



  *In addition, SCS spent £35,500 in respect of stabilisation work at Peebles.

Drug Misuse

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was consulted by Her Majesty’s Government about any impact of reclassifying cannabis on (a) education, (b) health, (c) social work, (d) police work and (e) the criminal prosecution system.

Mr Jim Wallace: The classification of drugs is a reserved matter. The Scottish Executive was informed by Her Majesty's Government of the proposal to reclassify cannabis and the consequences highlighted were fully considered. The Home Secretary's decision was based, in part, on a recommendation by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, on which Scottish interests are well represented. The Executive has issued a guide, which is also on the Know the Score website at: www.knowthescore.info , setting out the legal position in Scotland, the effects of cannabis and the health risks associated with its use.

Drug Misuse

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give any new advice to judges on sentencing in the light of the reclassification of cannabis.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Home Secretary proposed on 10 July that cannabis should be reclassified from a Class B to a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. If approved by the Westminster Parliament, this will reduce the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis from five years to two years imprisonment. The Home Secretary also proposed a 14-year maximum prison sentence for drug traffickers who deal in Class B or Class C drugs. The current maximum penalty for possession with intent to supply Class C drugs is five years in prison, compared with 14 years for Class B drugs. The Scottish Executive does not provide advice to judges on sentencing as the independence of the judiciary is a fundamental principle of the Scottish legal system. The role of the Scottish Executive is to ensure that the courts have an adequate range of penalties available to them.

Drug Misuse

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will change its drug strategy in the light of findings by the Effective Interventions Unit that school-based programmes are "generally ineffective in reducing drug use".

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive has no plans to change its drugs strategy. The research referred to was about young people who already have drug problems. As part of the research, an international literature review examined a range of school-based programmes that sought to reduce drug use in this group. There was some evidence that such programmes did reduce drug use but that certain approaches, e.g. skills development, building self-esteem and confidence, were more beneficial than others. Education, as part of a programme of treatment and care, can have successful results but the use of a purely educational approach was found to be generally ineffective in reducing drug use. The Effective Intervention Unit's (EIU) review did not examine drug education programmes in Scotland, nor did it examine the effectiveness of drug education generally. To follow up the research, the EIU will be working with the Lloyds TSB Foundation Partnership Drugs Initiative to develop a practical guide to the planning, designing and delivery of services for young people with drug problems.

Drug Misuse

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to improve drug treatment services for young people in rural areas.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Executive has already taken a number of actions to improve drug treatment services for young people in rural areas. All areas are benefiting from increased drug treatment resources of £13.3 million for the period 2001-02 to 2003-04. In addition, funding of £18 million has been made available over the same period through the Changing Children’s Services Fund for work with young people and families affected by drug misuse. Applications have now been approved and grants issued to all local authorities, both urban and rural. These include prevention and treatment facilities for the under 16s. The Executive has set a national standard for all Drug Action Teams (DATs) to ensure that drug users aged under 16 have access to drug treatment and care services which are in line with national guidance, by 2004. Achievement of the standard is being monitored through DAT annual Corporate Action Plans. Plans received to date demonstrate a wide range of new and expanded services for young people in rural areas, covering education, prevention and treatment.

Flood Prevention

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve flood management.

Allan Wilson: The term flood management covers a broad range of activities, involving private and public interests. For the Executive’s part, increased investment in measures to reduce flood risk in flood prone areas and commissioning of flood–related research continues. The Executive is also considering the need for further enhancement of the arrangements for disseminating flood risk and flood warning information following the successful introduction of Floodline last November.

Hospitals

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to investigate the circumstances surrounding delay to the installation of the hospital information computer system at the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has been kept informed of developments in this case. I see no need at this point to undertake further investigation.

Hospitals

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to ensure that McKesson Corporation will be pursued for payment of any fines incurred in respect of work for the NHS.

Malcolm Chisholm: Because contracts of this nature are between trusts and the company, the Executive has no power to seek compensation directly. However, I expect that any compensation properly due from McKesson Corporation to be pursued.

Hospitals

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the hospital information computer system at the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children will be operational.

Malcolm Chisholm: I understand that the current timetable is for the new system to be phased in across the hospitals in Lothian, starting this autumn in Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh followed by the Western General Hospital and concluding with the Royal Hospital for Sick Children from 2004.

Hospitals

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate the awarding of a contract by Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust to McKesson Corporation after the company had announced that an audit found £27million of sales recorded improperly.

Malcolm Chisholm: I understand that the trust has already investigated this matter thoroughly. I am aware of the outcome and see no basis to take further action.

Local Government

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to empower local authorities to address environmental concerns relating to private property and, in particular, unoccupied derelict buildings and areas of derelict land within local communities.

Mr Andy Kerr: Powers already exist in the Building (Scotland) Act 1959, the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. The power to advance well-being proposed in the Local Government in Scotland Bill may also be helpful to local authorities in this regard.

Police

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers below the rank of inspector retired in each of the last three years and how many such officers (a) had completed 30 years or more service and (b) retired on grounds of ill health.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information on retirements by rank is not held centrally. The available information is shown in the following table:

  


Year 
  

Total Retirements 


No. of Retirements with 30 Years or More 
  Service 


No. of Retirements on Ill Health Grounds 
  



1999-2000 
  

464 
  

130 
  

187 
  



2000-01 
  

461 
  

109 
  

198 
  



2001-02 
  

490 
  

105 
  

197 
  



  Source: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary’s Annual Statistical Returns from forces for 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Police

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of police officers who have retired in each of the last three years on grounds of ill health suffered from (a) stress or mental illness, (b) injuries incurred while on duty and (c) physical injuries not caused as a result of assault or accident at work.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information on the reason for ill health retirements is not held centrally.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to compile figures to compare recidivism rates at public prisons and private prisons, giving the reasons for its position on this matter.

Mr Jim Wallace: No. Measuring recidivism is a complex issue, and recidivists may commit further crimes for which custodial sentences are not awarded by sentencers and the reason for recidivism are affected by many factors outwith prison. Furthermore, individual prisoners may well spend time in both private and public prisons during the course of the sentence. The Scottish Prison Service publishes information on "Return to Custody", the most recent being follow-up information on those prisoners released from prison during 1998.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25345 by Mr Jim Wallace on 21 June 2002, what periods of time the contracts for social work services for HM Young Offenders Institution (a) Glenochil and (b) Polmont have been agreed to cover.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  (a) An initial period of two years 11 months.

  (b) An initial period of two years five months.

Prison Service

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) cost and (b) benefits are, in terms of potential mortality and morbidity, of treating drug-using prisoners in accordance with published European recommendations.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service provides a range of services and treatments to drug-using prisoners. We have not undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of this provision in relation to potential mortality or morbidity.

Roads

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the ministerial statement on 26 June 2002 by the Minister for Finance and Public Services on budget revision, Official Report , col. 13041, which road schemes in 2001-02 were delayed by the impact of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak; by how long, and with what resultant budget carry forward in each case.

Mr Andy Kerr: The following table shows which road schemes were delayed by the impact of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, by how long and the resultant budget carry forward in each case:

  


Name of scheme 
  

The length of delay (approx.) 
  

Budget carry forward
£ million (approx.) 
  



A1 Bowerhouse-Spott 
  

3 months 
  

0.050 
  



A1 Haddington-Dunbar 
  

3 months 
  

3.000 
  



A1 Howburn-Houndwood 
  

6 months 
  

3.120 
  



A75 Cairntop-Barlae 
  

3 months 
  

0.028 
  



A8 Baillieston-Newhouse 
  

3 months 
  

0.225 
  



M77 Fenwick-Malletsheugh 
  

3 months 
  

0.550 
  



A90 Glendoick 
  

2 months 
  

0.033 
  



A90 Inchmichael 
  

3 months 
  

0.156 
  



A90 Inchture 
  

3 months 
  

0.320 
  



A90 Kinfauns 
  

2 months 
  

0.043 
  



Total 
  
 

7.525

Schizophrenia

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to ensure that people with schizophrenia in (a) Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and (b) the Western Isles have access to new and more effective drugs, given that these areas have among the lowest percentage shares of atypical antipsychotic prescriptions.

Malcolm Chisholm: On 25 July 2002, the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) issued a comment on the NICE Guidance on the use of atypical antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia, advising that the NICE Guidance is as valid for Scotland as for England and Wales. The guidance recommends that the newer (atypical) antipsychotics should be considered alongside the older, existing medicines as one of the options of first choice to treat people with newly diagnosed schizophrenia. NHS Scotland is expected to take account of advice and evidence from the HTBS and ensure that recommended drugs or treatments are made available to meet clinical need.

Social Work

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve social work training.

Cathy Jamieson: The Executive's plans are set out in the Action Plan for the Social Services Workforce , which was published on 18 April 2002.

  Since then significant progress has been made towards introducing the new honours degree course by 2004. We have set up two project groups whose membership is drawn from the Scottish Social Services Council, institutes of higher education, employers, the independent sector, user interests and professional associations to consider the structure and viability of the new degree and the role of practice learning. Both groups will regularly report on progress to ministers.

Special Advisers

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any disclosures made by Mr Peter McMahon to media in respect of the former First Minister constitute breaches of confidentiality; if so, which specific disclosures so constitute breaches of confidentiality; what the reasons are for not taking action against any such breaches; whether, had any such breaches been made by a former civil servant rather than by a former special adviser, it would have treated them differently, and, in particular, whether action would have been taken in such a case.

Mr Andy Kerr: The articles written by Peter McMahon commenting on events when he was a special adviser did not contain anything which involved a significant breach of his duties in respect of confidential government information. On that basis legal action could not be justified. Civil servants, including special advisers, are bound by a duty of confidentiality and legal action would be considered against any existing or former civil servant, including special advisers, where there was a significant breach of that duty.

Sustainable Development

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to promote the United Nations’ initiatives (a) 101 ways to sustainable development, (b) sustainable development visions for the 21st century, (c) children’s Agenda 21 posters and (d) national progression targets.

Ross Finnie: In common with most other countries, the United Kingdom is not participating in these initiatives and at the formation of the Scottish Executive was not advised of these initiatives.

Sustainable Development

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it encourages teaching about sustainable development in the school curriculum.

Nicol Stephen: Guidance to education authorities and schools and the framework of national qualifications provide ample opportunities for teaching Sustainable Development at every level of the school curriculum. Under the School Improvement Framework, which monitors the delivery of the National Priorities in Education, a performance measure has been included for education authorities on the percentage of schools participating in the Eco-Schools Award or similar accredited environmental award. A number of initiatives have also been undertaken in conjunction with Learning and Teaching Scotland to assist education authorities and schools to promote environmental and sustainable development education. These include the learning support pack – Our World, Our Future and Living and Learning in a Time of Change – Starting Points for Teachers and School Management Teams. The new National Qualifications introduce a set of courses from Access to Advanced Higher within the subject area of Managing Environmental Resources. Learning and Teaching Scotland is involved in a partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage, World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Scotland, Eco-Schools, Scotland, Equal Schools Scotland, International Development Education Association of Scotland, Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, Royal Town Planning Institute in Scotland, Scottish Civic Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Scotland in the sustainable secondary schools project to take forward a four-year initiative on education for sustainable development in secondary schools. Education for Sustainable Development is of course an important element of education for citizenship and officials are currently in discussion with Learning and Teaching Scotland about developing support for schools following the publication of Education for Citizenship in Scotland .

Teachers

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the circumstances under which primary schools should lose a teacher following a decrease in the school roll; whether such reductions in teacher complement should not take effect over a period of one year but over a longer period, and what guidance it will give to local authorities on this matter.

Nicol Stephen: The responsibility for the management of publicly funded schools, including the recruitment and deployment of teachers rests with individual local authorities. Within that responsibility it is a matter for local authorities to determine the most appropriate rate of change in staffing levels when a school roll declines. The Scottish Executive does not intend to issue guidance on this matter.

Water

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current arrangements are for monitoring wastewater treatment plants and whether there are any plans to review these arrangements.

Ross Finnie: Monitoring wastewater treatment is carried out by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, in accordance with the requirements of Article 15 of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). There are currently no plans to review these arrangements.